Aftermarket Rohloff Shifters and Handlebars

1. Cinq5 Shift:R Thumb Shifters

These Cinq5 Rohloff thumb shifters are the first of their type available. They look smart and operate in a unique way: the left trigger shifts down a gear, and the right shifts up. They’re produced by the same crew that make Tout Terrain bikes and retail for US $360.

2. Co-Motion Twist Shifter

Image: ShandCycles.com

Co-Motion have recently released a shifter which fits both 26.0 and 31.8mm drop handlebars. It looks well sealed, and felt really smooth when I was playing with it at Eurobike. The only issues that might arise are that handlebar bag mounts (eg. Ortlieb) could get in the way; it may also become slippery in the wet. Retail price is US $249.

3. Gilles Berthoud Shifter

Image: CycleMonkeyLab.Blogspot.com.au

The Gilles-Berthoud is very refined. I’m keen to try one out – I’m currently not convinced that the metal surface will work effectively in wet conditions. Retail price is US $195.

4. Gebla Rohbox

The Rohbox allows you to use regular SRAM STI shift levers (or MTB shifters on a flat handlebar) with your Rohloff hub. The system requires shifter modification to remove both the holding pawls and the springs. Alternatively, you can buy the shift levers directly from Gebla with your Rohbox. Once installed, your right lever changes gears down, and your left lever changes them back up again. It’s very neat!

5. Soma Gator Handlebar

These handlebars feature a long ‘drops’ section in 22.2mm diameter, allowing you to slide a Rohloff shifter all the way up and beneath your brake lever.

6. Van Nicholas Divisible Handlebar

This new handlebar breaks into multiple parts to slide on your stock Rohloff shifter. Unlike the Utopia handlebars (below) these handlebars are available in standard widths: 40cm, 42cm and 44cm. This is one of the best solutions around because you get to use the shifter with a rubber grip. 125 Euro will do it.

7. Utopia Rohloff Drop Handlebar

The Lenker X-ACT Randonneur Vario Handlebar splits into three pieces.

Utopia Velo make all sorts of bikes and bits. One product in their selection is a nifty drop handlebar which splits into three pieces. The upper arms of the handlebar are 22.2mm, meaning a Rohloff shifter is able to be fitted on when the bar is split. At the stem clamp, the diameter is 25.4mm, allowing a standard MTB stem to be used. As the handlebar curves, it uses a 24mm diameter which STI or standard brake levers will attach to.

My only concern with this handlebar is that it is incredibly wide (50-52cm width). Usually, road handlebars are most comfortable as a similar width to your shoulders. To give you an idea handlebar widths, taller riders often use 44cm handlebars, and smaller riders generally feel at home using less than 40cm.

You can purchase this handlebar on the Utopia Velo website by clicking ‘Shop’ – ‘Accessories Shop’ – ‘Steering’ – ‘X-ACT Randonneur handlebars Vario’. CNC Bike Shop will also sell you a pair.

8. Shiftezy Electronic Rohloff Shifter

The Shiftezy allows you to change gears via buttons!

Buttons are the future!

Change gears via buttons. I’m not sure how well this would work on a bike tour, but there is definitely potential in this product.

Rohloff Shifter Adapters

9. Thorn 55mm Accessory Bar

Thorn Accessory Bar with Rohloff shifter mounted

A Thorn Accessory Bar is well out of harms way, as it mounts on the steerer tube. I’ve done over 50,000km with this setup and have found it to be both a practical and usable solution. The shifter location near the top of the handlebar makes it easy enough to change gears from the top of the bars, whereby the actuation for the Rohloff is like turning a door knob. Another advantage of having my shifter located near the stem; I’m not limited for choice of road handlebar. That was vital for finding a handlebar shape that suited me.

10. Rodriguez DooHickey

The DooHickey is essentially the same steerer tube mount as the Thorn Accessory Bar. What I prefer about the Thorn Accessory Bar is that it extends 55mm away from you, keeping the shifter out of the way of your knees when you stand up.

11. HubBub Drop Bar Adaptor

The Hubbub adapter is another popular accessory.

The HubBub is another good way to mount a Rohloff shifter. It simply slides into your barend and creates a 22.2mm surface where you can mount your standard Rohloff shifter. It’s slightly lower and out of the way than other options, but has proven itself to be easy to use.

12. Patria Adjustable Stem

The Patria Adjustable Stem is a neat solution

The Patria Adjustable Stem allows you to modify the front end of your bike and mount your Rohloff shifter. I feel that the shifter may get in way of your knees when standing up.

13. Norwid Rohloff Stem

The Norwid stem has a stub on the side, allowing you to mount your Rohloff shifter.

Prototype and Discontinued Rohloff Shifters

14. Mittelmeyer Shifter

Mittelmeyer Shifter – not recommended!

The Mittelmeyer was my first attempt at having a neatly integrated Rohloff shifter setup. Unfortunately, the Mittelmeyer never worked as planned. Once setup, I found there was too much friction. In addition, the metal surface didn’t really offer any grip (which is why I prefer rubber gripshift options).

I rode the touring bike for a while, but after every ride the friction in the shifter increased. It wasn’t until I took my touring bike overseas that it decided to seize up! That effectively meant singlespeed touring in New Zealand (hilly and windy). 🙁

15. Gilles Berthoud Prototype Trigger Shifter

A prototype thumb shifter by GB.

This prototype shifter was shown at Eurobike in 2013. It looks refined and promising!

16. Daumenschalter Prototype Trigger Shifter

Daumenschalter Prototype Trigger Shifter

Looks awesome. This is the first trigger prototype I’ve been aware of. I can’t wait to see the refined product in action.

Alee LOVES bikes and travel. So much so he once sold everything he owned to ride through 30 countries to learn a bit about himself and the world. Check out his book Bicycle Touring in One Hour to do the same: http://cyclingabout.com/bicycle-touring-book/

Very nice and useful compilation of options. thanks.
(BTW, drop bars are routinely split by Bike Friday to make their bikes pack into a suitcase. They insert a sleeve at the cut that bridges the two halves and gets pressed snug inside the stem. I don’t know of any failures, certainly not on my Bike Friday over many, many miles.)

Another one of my takes on the dropbar issue. A stub tube mounted to the bars.

sweatydonkey

Picture of the final setup. Works pretty well and cable routing neat.

chasK

Many thanks for this page it is very helpful. I use a Patria mount but as I am on the small side the handlebar stem is rather short which gives me little space to get my fist round the twister grip. I also have a bar-bag mount which would rule out the GB twister solution. Sometimes I think I am crazy continuing with drop bars since everything off-the-peg is made for straight bars these days.

he is an other way that that i retro fitted a rohloff twist shifter too drop bars by fitting a handle bar stub to the rh brake lever so it gives a very ergo gear change while riding on the hoods. so while climbing out up hill riding on the hoods you dont have to move your hand too far off the hood, it also enables you to still sort off be able to cover the brake lever while changing gear.

Bikeboss

14. Rohloff with Magura Louise and FSA Vision 22,2mm; steering, braking, shifting in one Position

Simoninmilan

One more idea.
Use an old Cinelli Spinaci mount with a cut down length of 22.2 bar. Works perfectly. Cost buttons! Noone wants the Spinaci / 3TTT Tiramisu bars anymore.

My way, quite similar to Mark’s Version. I found it to be more practicable than the Mittelmeyer/Gilles Berthoud/.. because there is still space for the frogleg-levers and you can leave your hands near the levers while shifting.

Only thing is that it doesn’t look as beautiful as the “professional” ones..

The design changed and it holds up firm so far, after approx. 1000km of commuting the last months. Before that I used the Alu Point Adapter, but I found it to be too close to the bar, so I could not turn the shifter more than 2 gears higher without squeezing my thumb. The Minoura extends a bit further away from the bar, so there is no issue with that anymore.

Nevertheless I like Mark’s version (#21) even more. Maybe I will give it a go some day.

Thanks, I’ve added in the Gator. It’s also a good reminder for me to do a bit of an update on this resource!

Pete

Hi Alee,

now you can add your own findings of this years Eurobike:
Rohloffs own electric shifting option (at least for e-bikes, well…)
and the new approach from tt/cinq5 with their Shift:R Road brake lever integrated shifters